SEND FAQs
I think my child needs an EHCP – what are the next steps?
The most direct route is to complete a parental request with the Local Authority. They will have six weeks to decide whether an assessment will take place. It will be useful for you to collate your own evidence prior to the application. The school will be asked to provide evidence separately once the application has been submitted.
The Local Authority may suggest an application for intervention funding. This is time-limited funding (typically 12 months or less) and does not provide the same support as an EHCP, which can be in place until age 25.
The link for applications is shown below. If you choose to apply, please let your child’s mentor know, as they will be able to inform the relevant school staff.
Click here to access the parental request form.
I think my child has ADHD – what are the next steps?
The school cannot assess or make a diagnosis for ADHD. This can only be completed by health professionals. The school will be asked to contribute to this process.
You may find it helpful to create a timeline of difficulties you have observed before making an appointment with your GP and/or completing the parental questionnaire provided by CAMHS. This and other information can be found via the link below. The first step is to make an appointment to speak to your GP.
Click here to access the parental request form.
I think my child has ASD – what are the next steps?
The school cannot assess or make a diagnosis for ASD. This can only be completed by health professionals. The school will be asked to contribute to this process. You may find it helpful to create a timeline of difficulties you have observed before making an appointment with your GP and/or completing the parental questionnaire provided by CAMHS. This and other information can be found via the link below. The first step is to make an appointment to speak to your GP.
Click here to access the parental request form
I think my child has dyslexia – what are the next steps?
The school cannot formally assess or make a diagnosis of dyslexia. This can only be carried out by a specialist dyslexia assessor.
If you have concerns about aspects of your child’s learning, we can arrange a LUCID screener test. These are carried out at specific points in the year, so there may be a short wait for this. The test helps to identify strengths and difficulties in different areas of learning, such as reading, comprehension, and spelling, and can help to identify dyslexic tendencies. Where this is the case, we will direct staff to support the student with dyslexia-friendly strategies in the classroom.
If you are considering approaching a private assessor to gain a formal assessment, please inform your child’s mentor. It should be noted that a dyslexia diagnosis does not automatically entitle a student to access arrangements in exams (under current JCQ regulations).
My child has SEND needs and is anxious about coming to school – what are the next steps?
Speak to your child about their timetable and lessons. A good way to start is to print their timetable and talk through the lessons with them. Get them to colour in lessons red for those they are struggling with, green for those they like/enjoy, and orange for those in between. Discuss and make some notes on why they have graded them in this way – this might relate to the work, environmental factors, or people.
When you have done this, it’s a good idea to make appointments with the teachers of the lessons that present particular difficulties at the next Progress Evening.
My child needs a toilet pass – what are the next steps?
Please send appropriate medical evidence to your child’s mentor. They will be able to refer it to the relevant staff, who will review the evidence, and issue a pass where necessary.
My child needs a reasonable adjustment to uniform – what are the next steps?
Details about the College’s uniform can be found on the website here. If you feel your child needs an adjustment to this – for example, due to a sensory condition – please contact their mentor in the first instance with appropriate evidence for the need. They will be able to refer it to the relevant staff, who will review this evidence, and issue a pass where necessary.
My child has an issue in a particular subject – what are the next steps?
Contact the subject teacher as a first step, then the Head of Department if the issue cannot be resolved. Staff contact details can be found on the website here.
I think my child needs extra time in exams – what are the next steps?
JCQ (Joint Council for Qualifications) regulates all access arrangements. This includes extra time. Students with an EHCP or certain specific diagnoses – currently Autistic Spectrum, ADHD, and certain medical conditions (supported by medical evidence from a specialist professional) – may automatically qualify. Dyslexic students do not automatically qualify under current guidance but may do so following further testing.
All students will undergo LUCID diagnostic testing in Year 9. This will examine whether a student is likely to meet the JCQ criteria for access arrangements. Where this is the case, further testing will be carried out and evidence collected to ensure this happens, where criteria are met. The Examinations Officer works in conjunction with the SENDCo and our specialist assessor to gather evidence and make the appropriate application.
My child is struggling with reading – what are the next steps?
Encourage your child to read at home for 30 minutes per night. If they are reluctant, read to them to start with and then increase their participation by asking them to read certain lines before expanding this. Try to choose material that relates to their interests – this can be a magazine, comic, recipe, blog, or book.
Our Library team are skilled in helping reluctant readers to find the book that will pique their interest.
If no improvement is noticed after six months, contact your child’s mentor, who will signpost you to additional support.
My child’s handwriting is difficult to read – what are the next steps?
The only way to improve handwriting is to practise on a daily basis. There are various online resources and tools that you can use at home to help your child, e.g. Teach Handwriting at Home.
We are not able to offer handwriting interventions in school due to the need for daily practice and the subsequent lesson time that would need to be missed.
Can my child have a school laptop? What are the criteria?
Students that qualify for Pupil Premium will be supplied with a laptop. Please contact Mrs Solly on d.solly@lutterworthcollege.com to arrange this if your child hasn’t received this automatically.
Students that need a laptop for SEND reasons (i.e. for use as a normal way of working) will normally use one on a trial basis initially, depending on the nature of their need. This may be in relation to illegible handwriting, motor or mobility issues, or processing difficulties, as determined through examination of evidence supplied by teachers, home, and medical professionals by the SENDCo. Students needing a laptop will be added to the Technical Services list. There will normally be a waiting list for this service due to the limited availability of resources.
Where agreed with the SENDCo, parents may choose to supply the device themselves. This will need to be taken to IT services before use to ensure compatibility with school systems.
If you feel there’s a SEND-related need for your child to have access to a laptop in school, please contact their mentor in the first instance.
Can my child have TA support?
Students with EHCPs or SENIF funding are prioritised for TA support in lessons. Other students may also access this support where deemed appropriate and logistically possible. In most cases, TA support will be shared with other students within lessons. Most classrooms do not have a TA assigned; deployment is carefully managed by the SENDCo and HLTA for Learning Support.
Should my child be on the SEND register?
The SEND register is designed to be a fluid document. Students receiving additional support are typically placed on the SEND register and may be removed if support is no longer required. Transition information from primary settings, as well as information from parents and external agencies, may be used to determine whether a student should be placed on the register. If you have any questions about your child's SEND status, please contact their mentor in the first instance.
My child has medical needs – what are the next steps?
Ensure you communicate your child's medical needs by contacting the main school office to be directed to the appropriate person. Information can be shared with Mrs Sweeney, the mentor, or the admin team. Where required, a Medical Needs Plan will be created and agreed upon by the school and parents/carers, and this will be shared with appropriate staff. Reasonable adjustments, appropriate to the medical needs of the child, will be arranged.
My child has allocated hours of support as part of their EHCP – what does this mean?
If your child has allocated hours of support within their EHCP, these will be used in reference to the provision cited in Section F of the EHCP document and/or other forms of support. Support may be provided in various ways, depending on the individual's needs. For example, 20 hours of support may include one-to-one support from a TA, group support, time-limited intervention sessions with HLTA/Teacher/School Coach/Pastoral staff/Smaller Group Provision. Twenty hours of support does not (and will not in most cases) equate to 20 hours with a TA. Each case will be carefully considered based on the student's needs and the school's available resources.